The Hungarian progressive rock band
You And I formed in November 1992 with an aim of carrying on the
traditions of the progressive bands of the 70s, including such greats as
Yes and Genesis. Based in Budapest, You and I’s
repertoire includes their own music, folk ballands and titles from Yes, Enya
and other greats as well. Songs are performed both in English and Hungarian.
In 1994, the band held a Yes Memorial Concert featuring covers of some of
the band's most progressive songs, including "Siberian Khatru," "And You
and I" and "Heart of the Sunrise" to name a few.

You And I
(alternate website)
band members believe that "some of the best pieces of music
in the progressive rock heritage will still be played many decades later, and
perhaps centuries, by future generations of musicians, just like pieces of
classical music." Fans of female-fronted progressive bands like Renaissance,
Solstice, Arise From Thorns and Second Story are certain to enjoy the music of
You And I as well as their vocalist's wonderful solo project.

Fanni Völgyessy Szomor was born in 1965. She is classically trained in
voice and graduated from the Budapest Jazz Conservatory. Fanni performs in a large
variety of styles and works as a studio and session singer with different bands;
she also sings in several a capella choirs. With a keen interest in the figurative
arts, she learned ceramics and practiced decoration.

The Debut Album—Kotta CD001/Periferic
BGCD021 (1995)

The You And I Album. The band released their self-titled album
(Kotta CD001/Pereferic
BGCD021) in 1995. Fronted by the sweetly sensitive and crystalline voice
of equally stunning Fanni Völgyessy Szomor, the album contains seven tracks of varying
lengths balanced between progressive instrumentals and wonderful vocals, sung
in a mixture of English and Hungarian.

The band's initial lineup also included
Károly Dorogi (bass), Zsolt Kosztyu (guitars), Tamás Remenyik (keyboards).
Interestingly the band had no drummer. The lovely booklet accompanying
the compact disc features lyrics to all of the songs both in English and
Hungarian, regardless of the language sung on the recording.

You And I's debut album opens with a heavenly vocal
track entitled "Clear, Real Life" sung by Fanni in English. Backing
instrumentation includes light electric guitar and keyboard. A more
progressive sounding track entitled "Osz" ("Fall") with strange keyboard
harmonies, drum samples and heavier almost psychodelic electric guitar
follows with Fanni's vocals sung in Hungarian. She then sings You And
I's version of the classic "Wedding Day" ("She Moved Through The Fair")
almost a capella with only the lightest of keyboard accompanyment.

The vocally rich "Engedj El" ("Release Me"), multi-tracked as it builds
towards conclusion, is accompanied by acoustic guitar and light keyboard.
"Nemo" is a short and rich keyboard-centred instrumental. The Yes-style
progressive work entitled "Novel" begins with a light melody played
on guitars but builds in the second half with its classically oriented
arrangements delivered by powerful keyboards and soaring guitars. The
album concludes with the five-movement "Child Of A Guiding Eye"—a
truly progressive masterpiece that runs for 9:45. Fanni sings the first
part of the epic, entitled "Starlight," in English accompanied by electric
guitars and lush keys, with solo parts that develop through complex
arrangements into the "Arise" instrumental.
Fanni's vocals return twice and build into "The Poison Garden" with
her lead and multiple backing vocal parts playing off each other in a
wonderful multi-tracked production. Electric guitar and lead keyboard
parts echo the arrangement. A warm reprise of the "Starlight" precedes
sensitively sung final melody of "The Unborn."

Hajnalban (Dawning)—Pereferic BGCD022 (1997)

The Hajnalban (Dawning) Album. You And I's initial lineup went on
to write and record an album under Fanni Völgyessy Szomor's name entitled Hajnalban
(Dawning). Although not
specifically date marked anywhere on the album, we believe that it
was released either in late 1996 or early 1997.

According to the band's own website, Fanni's album "is more like
a collection of personal photographs, telling stories of love, dreams of
traveling, tales of an old house and the magic of music. This album has a
more popular sound than the debut You And I recording, and sometimes is
closer to ‘easy listening’, but the musical texture, however, is very rich,
deep and artistic." The songs are sung and the liner notes (reproduced below)
accompanying the gold compact disc are written entirely in Hungarian.

Fanni was interviewed in December 1998 for Rockinform.
She said,
"I used to sing in church choirs before I decided to attend jazz college. I managed to graduate, although I wanted to quit at the end of each term, because I never felt a
close connection to jazz as a style. Later on, Károly, Zsoci and I founded Vándorok,
a Christian rock band, along with a Christian café at the end of the 80’s in
Budapest’s legendary Eötvös Club. ... Before I joined Károly and Zsoci, I hadn’t
even heard about Yes. I grew up with a different kind of music, yet I could feel
the spirituality of the vocalist Jon Anderson right away. I only needed to
‘sit in that chair’ to sing like him and see the world through his eyes."

With vocals mixed quite a bit higher than the debut You And I album, Fanni's
solo project opens with a wonderfully light vocal entitled "Gondolj Rám"
("Think Of Me"). Backing
vocal harmonies, acoustic and electric guitar join keyboards in the choruses to
complete the melody. Vocal work, right from the start, is crystalline. The
liner notes below show the original You And I lineup and their roles.

where is the journey,
which accompanied you through many long years,
where is that house, where you were possibly happy,
to see the town again after that many years,
one minute just to be a child,
I am running toward the light's slow awakening,
I fall before the scarlet face of the cloud,
so many years' treasures open before me,
I call you and wait for you still,
I am searching for the word,
so I can reveal all my thoughts,
I am searching for the good, endlessness sees my grief,
I can't step thru the heavy fog of my loneliness,
but my fate I myself can live,
I'm running toward the light's slow awakening,
I fall before the scarlet face of the cloud,
so many years' treasures open before me,
I call you and wait for you still,
my home is the silence, which always,
every morning waves good-bye,
the moon, which always waits for me,
the lake, which speaks on the wind's voice,
the night, the fresh solitude

"Utóirat" ("Postscript") is a sensitive and heartfelt
ballad sung with only light keyboard and
is one of several songs on the album to pay tribute to Fanni's wonderful vocal
talent. "Mért Mentél El" ("Because You Left")
is a more jazzy number with guitars dominating the
instrumental backing. Backing vocals in the choruses are achieved with
accurate multi-tracking working opposite the lead. The track "2:46,"
perhaps named this because that's how long the instrumental runs, features
Fanni's keyboard—piano and synths—work which is joined by guitar as the
song's melody develops.

The highly accessible tune from the track "Oly Régi Gondolat"
("Very Old Thought") makes its debut here. The music, heavily
carried by the vocal melody, returns with entirely different
English lyrics in "Angel Dream" on You And I's second album.
Light keys, bass and drum samples join the multi-tracked backing
vocals to complete the sound.

Fanni's jazz roots come through in the track
"A Kert" ("The Garden") with its more pronounced bass and percussion parts.
Her clear lead vocals carry the tune, and while almost spoken at times,
additional multi-tracking faithfully creates the effect of
accompanying backing singers. A lovely flute sounding keyboard solo
sounds almost improvised.

"Néma Enek" ("Silent Song") is sung in a seemingly deeper key; harmoniously
multi-tracked to create the sound of accompanying singers, it offers a
crossover between jazz and progressive rock. The jazzy piano and
electric guitar solos in the instrumental bridge provide
an excellent contrast.

You And I's "Clear, Real Life" is performed in Hungarian as
"Tiszta Valódi Elét" ("Completely True Life"), however the lyrics appear to have been
changed from those in the booklet accompanying You And I's
debut album. The lovely vocal melody, instrumental arrangements
and stunning performance—including the bird chirping sound effects
from Yes' "Close To The Edge"—are the same.

The jazziest song on the album is certainly "Tavasz" ("Spring") which
shares its basic melody and alludes to "Utóirat" with
improvised percussion, as well as thicker bass and rhythm
guitar parts. Multi-tracked vocalise combine with lyric parts,
and further illustrate the breadth of Fanni's overall style.
The dynamic instrumental "A Tánc" ("The Dance") has vast
synthesizer excursions (in a Wakeman style) and percussive bass
parts that cross over between progressive rock and jazz genres.
The album closes with the a tremendous lead vocal in the ballad "Utazás"
("Journey").
Here very light guitar and percussion underscore crystal clear
soaring vocals, mixed way up and perfectly produced.

Hajnalban is a clear demonstration
of Fanni's tremendous range of singing styles. A true testament to her
overall talent, the album was the inspiration of this feature and is a
must listen.

You And I ~ Go—Pereferic BGCD023 (1998)

The You And I Go Album. As their most commercial and
accessible release to date, You And I's Go
(Periferic BGCD 023, 1998) album, builds
on their earlier recording successes with seven new tracks and
an English rendition of a song from Fanni's solo album. The
overall sound is more orchestral with more complex and vastly
richer instrumental
arrangements. Vocals are again crystalline, mixed way up, and
perfectly produced in every way.

The album's stunning booklet again
includes both English and Hungarian versions of the lyrics and the
gold compact disc media has been used.
Since the prior releases, keyboard player Tamás Remenyik left the
band. Gergő Szabó (keyboards and backing vocals) joined the band.
Drummer Zoltán Czifra, who had played earlier with Gergő, also
joined You and I in 1998. Guest vocalist Vílmos Noszticzius is
also credited in the album's booklet. All of the songs on the
45:20 recording are sung in English.

The album opens with the stunning and highly accessible tune
"Someday, Somehow." It is one of three songs on the album with
excellent single and radio play potential. With crystal clear angelic
vocals, "Moonsong" is a lovely ballad with light guitar (listen to
the finger movements over the strings in the quiet bits), effective
bass and percussion.
"Decision" is a jazzier, maybe even dancy pop-sounding number
with brasher electric guitar and more commercial keyboard parts.
The multi-tracked vocal chorus won't appeal to everyone but it
has a certain hook.

"Snowdance" is reminiscent of a recent release by
Janison Edge with its epic
length, rich arrangements, sound effects and melody, but the
vocals are certainly more melodic here. "Angel Dream" is
a new English lyric version of the song "Oly Régi Gondolat"
from Fanni's solo album with a stronger vocal, new backing
vocal parts and a richer, more commercially produced
arrangement. "Mistaken" is a lovely pop rock song with multi-tracked
vocals, a catchy chorus with lots of vocal harmony, a real
hook and a very commercial instrumental arrangement. The
instrumental bridge is very short and perfectly timed for
radio airplay, the song has excellent single potential.

The epic length "Invisible Ties" is most reminscent of the
earlier You And I, with its Yes guitar and keyboard instrumental
arrangements. The instrumental introduction runs almost five
minutes before the vocals kick in. Multi- and alternate-tracking
tricks were used to make the verses very tight. The keyboard
solo between the two vocal movements is especially dramatic
adding a significant dimension to the overall sound of the
album.

"Children Of The Flame" is highly accessible number with a
lovely vocal part carrying the tune with especially uplifting
keyboard and percussion parts comes in the chorus to develop a
real hook. Again with a perfect running time for radio of 4:13,
the track has tremendous single potential—especially interesting
or a progressive band!
The keyboard and percussion build through
the song enabling the band to create an especially hard ending
to their latest album. Another must listen! Read further
reviews and order the album from amazon.com
here.

Earlier this year we were introduced to Fanni Völgyessy Szomor's
vocals on the first two You And I albums. We developed a significant
appreciation of her contributions while playing these two albums
repeatedly during our southern England road trip this past summer.
And although we have only recently discovered her solo album,
it perfectly compliments the You And I recordings, serves to
illustrate the extensive breadth and full range of this stunning
Hungarian vocalist. The solo album is certainly worth further
exploration—but be sure to listen to all three!